Imprisoned Hearts
by oneanddonekindofgirl
Summary: Inspired by a certain set of jail cell photos that may or may not be related to actual filming of Rookie Blue. In this fic, they are related. This is my take on how Gail and Holly could end up locked in a jail cell together. A post-5x07 reconciliation fic. (PLEASE NOTE RATING CHANGE AS OF CHAPTER 5)
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Imprisoned Hearts  
AUTHOR: oneanddonekindofgirl (plusxonexforever on tumblr)  
PAIRING: Gail/Holly  
RATING: K+ (will prob change to M in the future)  
SUMMARY: Inspired by a certain set of jail cell photos that may or may not be related to actual filming of Rookie Blue. In this fic, they are related. This is my take on how they could end up locked in there together. A post-5x07 reconciliation fic.  
DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own is the laptop used to write about these borrowed characters. For entertainment purposes only; not for profit.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, this happened and I really don't have anything to say other than I hope you enjoy it. :)

* * *

Gail really didn't want to be at work. She was hungover and had a massive headache—the kind you only get from the combination of drinking too much and crying yourself to sleep. She was surprised she managed to stand on her own two feet.

She closed the metal door of her locker, making sure not to slam it in the process. She tossed back two extra strength Tylenol, swallowing them dry as she made her way towards the parade room. She was already dreading this day, but she was a cop. She had a job to do. Maybe she'd luck out and be on desk today.

After seeing Holly the day before, after pouring her heart out in a very un-Gail-like way (she'd been so proud of herself in the moment for her little speech), after Holly had just turned and walked away… Gail had gone straight home and grabbed the first bottle of alcohol she could find—a half-empty bottle of bourbon—and changed into her oldest, comfiest pair of sweatpants and a ratty old Academy t-shirt. She'd picked up the oversized cardigan she'd stolen from Holly after their first night together, held it up to her nose, and inhaled. Then she'd burst out in tears because it no longer smelled like Holly.

She'd eventually managed to get to sleep around two in the morning, but not after downing enough of the bourbon to cause her current hangover and lying there in bed with images of Holly with another, faceless woman.

Goddammit why had she let her pride keep her away for so long?!

Gail glanced at the assignments board as she entered the room, heart immediately sinking as she noted her name alongside Chloe's for unit 1519. Not only was she expecting to be out on patrol again, but she had to endure Chloe's overly-peppy personality. Of all the days…

"Peck!" a sudden, loud voice rang from her left. She jumped and turned to see Oliver beckoning her towards him at the door. She shuffled over and lifted an eyebrow. "Rough night?" Oliver asked, concerned. He could easily make out the dark circles under her eyes, despite her attempt at hiding them with ample amounts of concealer.

Gail just shrugged, cringing when the motion made her head pound.

Oliver hummed. "Tell you what, Izzy is still suspended and needs someone to watch over her again today."

Gail's eyebrows shot up. "You want me to babysit your delinquent teenage daughter after I lost her yesterday?"

"She likes you," Oliver responded. "And I don't think you'll have a problem with her today. We came to an understanding this morning. And you look like you could use a day riding desk."

While Gail would normally scoff at babysitting the girl, as she had the day before, she welcomed the task today. "I won't let her leave my side today."

"I know. Zoe will be dropping her off on her way to work in about fifteen minutes." Oliver made his way to the front of the room to start parade and Gail took a seat in the very back, rubbing her temples. She just hoped a day babysitting Izzy would be better than a day spent babysitting Chloe.

After assignments were handed out—Chloe now assigned to booking—and they were dismissed, Gail made her way to her desk, bag of cheese puffs and mug of chamomile tea—which happened to be her breakfast—already in hand. She stopped short when she noticed a blonde head sitting in her chair. "How'd you get in here?" Gail asked the teenaged girl, making a motion for her to get out of the chair.

Izzy looked up at Gail but didn't move. "My dad is the Staff Sergeant," she said by way of explanation.

"Right. Out of my chair," Gail said. Izzy reluctantly stood and flopped into the other chair beside the desk. "By the way," Gail said as she sat down, "I almost didn't recognize you without the blue hair."

Izzy grinned. "It was fun while it lasted, but blondes have more fun, right?"

Gail gave her a half-hearted smile and nod before turning her attention to her computer. She could feel Izzy's eyes boring holes into her, but she ignored her as she started on her assignment for the day—sifting through several hours' worth of surveillance video in attempt to ID a suspect.

Izzy moped. "I'm bored," she whined.

Gail spared her a quick glance. "You've been here all of two minutes. Don't you have any homework you can work on or something?"

The girl shrugged. "I finished it all last night." She reached out grabbed Gail's phone sitting on the desk, clicking the button to light up the lock screen. Gail reached out and snatched her phone back.

"Hands off, delinquent Shaw," Gail said. "Don't you have your own phone to mess around with?"

Izzy shook her head. "Mom zombie took it away."

Gail huffed out a laugh. "Well, you're not getting my phone, so find something else to occupy your time." She refocused on the computer screen.

Several minutes had passed without another word from the girl, but then she suddenly spoke up. "I'm sorry I kicked you."

Gail looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"At the party raid in that old warehouse last year. That was you I kicked wasn't it? Your hair was longer then, though. I like it short. I never said sorry for kicking you."

Gail paused the video and leaned back in her chair. "Yeah, well, I know what it's like to have cops for parents."

"Your parents are cops?"

Gail nodded. "Your dad's boss' bosses, actually. So, I get it. Just, don't ever kick me again."

Izzy nodded. "No sweat," she said, slouching down in her chair. "Can I ask you something?"

Gail narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Depends."

"That woman yesterday at the morgue—"

"Nope," Gail cut her off. "I'm not talking about that. Pick a different topic."

"Ah, come on, I just wanna know if you were able to work things out because you're both super hot and—"

"Izzy, seriously, stop talking," Gail interjected, equal parts annoyed and amused. Well, maybe a bit more annoyed, but the girl had spunk.

"Guess not," Izzy muttered under her breath, but Gail heard her.

"Here," Gail said, grabbing a notebook and pencil from her desk drawer and placing it on the table in front of Izzy. "You're artistic, right? Draw or write or do whatever you artsy people do."

Nearly an hour later, Gail had stumbled upon a lead that she took to Traci, dragging Izzy behind her as she'd promised Oliver. No way was she escaping this time.

Izzy leaned back against the wall as the two women spoke about a lead, bored again. She really should have brought something to do, but she hadn't planned on her mom taking her phone and iPad while in the car on the way over. She silently fumed. What was she supposed to do all day, anyway?

Izzy noticed the blonde cop slide her phone into her pocket, and she grinned. As it turned out, she was an excellent pickpocket. She had the iPhone within minutes.

_Let's see what kind of games are on this thing_, Izzy thought to herself as she angled herself away from Officer Peck so she wouldn't see that she had the phone in her hand. The lock screen popped up, needing the four digit passcode. Izzy frowned. She hadn't thought about that. She glanced at the woman over her should, then grinned. She typed '8727' into the device, a smug look on her face when the phone unlocked. Jackpot.

Seriously? The only games she had were solitaire, Sudoku, and Flappy Bird? And no luck in the app store. '8727' was _not_ her iTunes password.

As she went to lock the phone to give up, her thumb accidentally hit the contacts app and the screen popped up. Lo and behold, the contact info for a 'Holly Stewart' filled the screen, the contact photo confirming that it was the same woman from the morgue the previous day.

Without letting Officer Peck see what she was doing, she quickly wrote down the cell number listed onto a piece of paper, then stuffed it into her jeans pocket. She exited the contacts app and relocked the phone, casually sliding it onto the table without the blonde even noticing. She was already formulating a plan.

"I need to pee," Izzy said, turning to fully face Officer Peck.

Gail glanced at Izzy, in the middle of an important task. "If I let you go to the bathroom by yourself, are you gonna run out on me again?"

Izzy shook her head. "Pinkie swear." And she wouldn't. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to make a little detour.

Gail waved her off and Izzy made her way towards the bathrooms, glancing over her shoulder to ensure that no one was watching her as she changed her course, heading straight towards booking. She'd been to 15 so many times over the years that she had no trouble navigating the halls. She even timed it perfectly to catch the door just before it closed and self-locked, requiring a keycard to enter the area.

"Hey, Officer Price," Izzy said as she strode into the room, noting that it seemed to be a rather quiet day. No one occupied any of the cells. Perfect.

Chloe looked up from the computer, puzzled when she saw Oliver's daughter. "Izzy Shaw, what are you doing in here?" she asked.

Izzy shrugged. "Just wondering if you wanted to help me with something."

Chloe stood, intending to escort the girl back to Gail's desk. "You shouldn't be back here."

Izzy stepped around her, moving further into the room. "But, wiat, listen, this will be great. I saw Officer Peck and that doctor lady yesterday and they totes have the hots for one another but are both too stubborn to get over whatever it is that's keeping them apart."

Chloe shook her head. "It's really none of your business, Izzy."

Izzy shrugged and boosted herself onto the table, legs swinging back and forth. "But I'm bored and I'm a romantic at heart. You are too. I know you are. All we have to do is get them in the same room to talk things out."

Chloe bit her lip. She did hate not seeing Gail with Holly. If only for the reason that Holly seemed to make Gail less… harsh. But she still didn't feel right interfering. "My romantic side doesn't matter. Besides, what are we gonna do? Lock them in a cell until they reconcile?"

Izzy grinned and bounced her eyebrows up and down. "Exactly."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much for reading! I've already started on chapter 2 and I hope to have it done and posted soon! PLEASE let me know what you think about this! And I'm always open to ideas and constructive criticism. Thanks! ~Lauren


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Wow! I am so overwhelmed by the response to the first chapter! You all are amazing, and I hope chapter 2 lives up to expectations. Thank you! Also thank you to my lovely gf for suggestions for this chapter. Consider this your writer's credit, love!

This chapter took a bit longer than I'd anticipated to complete. I've been preoccupied the last few days, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Hopefully chapter 3 won't take a long! :)

Please be advised that this could now be considered AU since 5x08 has now aired, and this is pretty much a deviation from canon story line.

Lastly, my muse has decided to take the route of Gail's inner dialogue. For some reason, I find it easier and more efficient to write with a focus on Gail's POV. I guess I have an inner Gail eager to get out. (If you know me personally, you know how funny this statement is.)

Okay, enough from me; here's chapter two. Enjoy!

* * *

Gail knew Izzy was up to something. She was a cop. Being observant is a part of her job. Izzy had been uncharacteristically quiet since returning from the bathroom an hour ago. She wasn't even fidgeting.

Gail eyed the teenager wearily, noting how she stared off towards the hallway. She just chalked it up to teenage daydreaming and returned to attention to her work. Little did she know what was unfolding in booking.

By lunchtime, the plan was in motion. Chloe had even guilted Dov into participating, who in turn recruited Andy. Thankfully, the day stayed slow, probably due to the storm system keeping people indoors, so there were still no prisoners in holding.

It had been surprisingly easy to get Dr. Stewart to come down to 15. Chloe wondered if she was looking for an excuse to run into Gail. If so, they were about to make it very easy for her. The good doc walked in, escorted by Andy.

"Thanks for coming, Dr. Stewart," Chloe greeted her.

"No problem, what's going on?" Holly asked, wondering why she'd been led into the building by way of booking instead of through the front entrance like usual. She briefly wondered if Gail's friends and colleagues were protecting the blonde.

"Uh, just something Traci, I mean Detective Nash, wanted you to check out," Chloe said. "In the cell over there." As Andy ushered Holly towards a cell, Chloe gave the predetermined signal to Dov, who in turn rushed down the hall to give the same go ahead to Izzy.

Izzy nodded and turned to Officer Peck. "I'm hungry. Can we get something out of the vending machines?"

Gail spared her a glance. "You can't be trusted to get something yourself?"

Izzy shrugged. "I figured you needed a break as well. Maybe some more… cheese puffs?"

Gail paused, fingers hovering over the keys on her keyboard. She hadn't even realized she was hungry and the mention of more cheesy goodness made her stomach growl. It was an eat-her-feelings kind of day anyway. "Okay, fine. But you're buying."

"Deal," Izzy said, already out of her chair and taking off towards the hall. Gail trailed behind, wondering why the girl was in such a hurry. She turned the corner and nearly ran right into a panicked-looking Dov.

"Gail, quick, we have a situation in booking!" he grabbed her arm before she could even ask what was up and pulled her down the hall.

"Dov, what the hell?" Gail said as he ushered her into the room, a bit more forcefully than she was used to from him. She nearly stumbled over her own two feet. It wasn't until she caught herself on the edge of the high countertop that she noticed Andy with her hand gripping Holly's arm as they stood just inside the first cell.

Holly had looked over in surprise as she'd heard Gail's familiar voice cursing Dov. What the heck was going on? They stared at one another, confused.

Gail was the first to break the silence and Holly's gaze. "Where's Izzy?" she asked, turning to leave the room. Dov blocked the door. Before she could threaten him with bodily harm, Izzy spoke.

"Over here," she called out from across the room. Gail knit her brow in confusion. When had she even entered the room? And why was she sitting in a holding cell?

"Vending machines are in the lounge room," Gail pointed out.

Izzy shrugged. "I got… lost?"

Gail pursed her lips. "Let's go, delinquent Shaw," she barked. "Now."

Izzy groaned but stood. Inwardly, she was applauding everyone's performance so far. But now was her time to shine. She'd purposely untied one boot so she could 'trip' on the laces before she exited the cell. She timed it perfectly, stumbling to the ground with a fake, but very convincing, yelp as she caught herself with her hand on the cold cement ground. Then she hissed and held her wrist to her chest.

The doctor in Holly caused her to rush to the girl's side, kneeling on the floor to see that she was okay. The babysitter slash oh-shit-did-I-just-break-Oliver's-daughter side of Gail had her doing the same thing, crouching down on the other side of Izzy. Neither noticed that none of the others came to the girl's aid. Or even seemed worried.

Izzy managed to stand with their help, then gave a sly grin before bolting. "Go!" she yelled as soon as she'd cleared the cell, and Andy sprang into action. The sliding door slammed shut with a resounding, metallic thud. The click of the locking mechanism rang loudly in the still air.

It all happened before either Gail or Holly could process what was happening. Holly just gaped at the others, confusion marring her expression. Gail went into, well, Gail mode.

"What the hell is going on?" Gail demanded to know, moving to tug at the cell door. It didn't budge. "Open the door, McNally."

Andy just backed away. "This is all Izzy and Chloe's doing. Dov and I were goaded into it. Take it up with them." She smiled and pulled Dov out the door.

Gail turned stony eyes upon Chloe and pointed a threatening finger at her. "Open. The door. Price."

Chloe glanced over at Izzy who leaned against the counter. "Should we open the door?"

Izzy regarded them carefully, noting Gail's fuming expression and Holly's utter confusion. "Nah," Izzy said. "We should get something to eat. I'm starving."

Chloe nodded and they turned to leave the room. (Chloe made sure to grab one of the radios to hear if any prisoners were being brought in. She hoped none would be; they'd definitely have to release Gail and Holly and Chloe sure as hell didn't want to do that before they managed to work out whatever they needed to work out.)

"Price!" Gail called out after them, shaking on the gate. "Come on, joke's over, guys. Open the damn door!"

Chloe just gave a little wave over her shoulder. Izzy slung her arm around Chloe, not even looking back. The door to the room shut, drowning out all outside noise. The steady buzz of the overhead fluorescent lighting was deafening. Gail groaned, pressing her forehead to the cold metal bars. She was already plotting her revenge, silently weighing the pros and cons of murdering her so-called friends and boss' daughter in their sleep.

"So, this is awkward."

Gail's shoulders slumped at Holly's words. She slowly turned to see her ex—god, it hurt to think of her as an ex—sitting on the cement bench, leaning back against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her. Gail tried not to notice how gorgeous she looked in her bright red blouse and the sexiest coat, complete with supple leather sleeves, that Gail had ever seen. When had she gotten that, anyway? Gail was sure she'd never seen it. She definitely would have remembered peeling it from Holly's frame.

Gail didn't reply. Instead, she shuffled over to the other side of the L-shaped bench, muttering to herself about getting even with Chloe, Dov, and Andy. She sat and stared straight ahead, arms crossed and lips pursed, wondering just how long they planned on keeping them locked in here. She found herself wishing for some loser to get arrested so they'd be forced to let them out. The tension was making her head throb.

Speaking of which, _why_ had they locked them in the cell together? Gail was certain it had been Izzy's idea. But she wasn't entirely sure why.

She risked a glance at Holly, to find the other woman staring at her while chewing on her thumbnail. Gail had learned early on that Holly did this when she was anxious or nervous. Gail swallowed the knot in her throat as she looked away, Holly's words from the previous day echoing nonstop in her mind.

_I'm seeing someone._

They had been a major blow to Gail's self-esteem. Both Chris and Nick had seemed to get over her so quickly. That had stung both times, but she'd been able to brush it off. They had only stung her pride for a while. But neither event even began to compare to the sick feeling she'd felt when Holly had admitted to having moved on.

Gail knew she'd fucked up royally. She'd been worked up by Dov's comments earlier in the day. She wondered if she'd been subconsciously looking for an opportunity to run. She was a Peck, after all. Things had been getting real, more real and intense than she'd ever experienced before. Had she been looking for an out? Was that why she'd refused to answer Holly's calls?

Whatever the reason, seeing Holly at the morgue the previous day had made something inside her snap, and all she could think about was how dumb she'd been. She missed Holly. And not just the sex, thought she missed that, too. A lot. Because sex with Holly had been mind-blowing. But mostly, she missed just being in the her presence. Missed talking to her and sleeping beside her. Waking up to her. Kissing her.

God, she missed kissing her.

She never thought Holly would have been able to get over her so quickly.

As she lay in bed the previous night, sleep eluding her as the alcohol coursed through her veins. She'd heard Ross Perrick's voice echo over and over in her mind and she was back in that interrogation room.

_Poor Gail. It must be hard being second choice._

Gail knew she'd messed up. She'd owned up to it for once in her life. She'd swallowed her pride and told Holly how she'd felt. But it had been too late.

Or maybe she'd never even stood a chance, her bourbon-influenced brain had thought. Maybe 'fun' was all she really had been.

And she couldn't even be mad at Holly for moving on. That's how she knew she was finally starting to grow up—rather than being angry with Holly, she was angry with herself. It was her own fault. Of course Holly had a line of women lining up for her. She was the most amazing woman—_person_—Gail had ever known. So why the hell did she self-sabotage their relationship?

The door to the room suddenly opened and Chloe walked in. Gail bolted out of her seat. "You better be here to let us out, Price," she growled. She felt like such a fool after the events of the previous day. That had hurt her self-esteem, and now her pride was being chipped away with each passing second.

Chloe didn't acknowledge Gail's demand. Instead, she just held up a bag of cheese puffs and a granola bar in one hand and a single bottle of water in the other. "Refreshments," she said, voice sickeningly sweet.

Gail didn't take the proffered snacks, though her stomach growled in hunger. She just stared daggers at Chloe.

Suddenly, she felt movement beside her and arms reached out between the bars. "Thank you, Chloe," Holly said as she took the food and water.

Chloe smiled and left, leaving them alone once more. Holly handed Gail the cheese puffs before returning to her previous position. Gail studied her, wondering how she was so calm about this. It had been made painfully obvious to Gail the day before that she didn't want to be in Gail's company. So why wasn't she fighting to get out?

Reluctantly, Gail followed Holly's lead and returned to her piece of bench, grumbling at how uncomfortable the cement structure was. She popped a puff into her mouth and chewed slowly, not really tasting. She absentmindedly licked the cheese powder off her fingertips. She didn't notice Holly pausing mid-chew to stare at the sight. Holly shifted slightly as she recalled the things that tongue could do to her. For someone who was inexperienced in the world of lesbianism, Gail had been a very quick study.

Holly swallowed the mouthful of granola bar and cleared her throat. She unscrewed the top of the water and took a few sips, then set the bottle beside Gail. Chloe had only brought them one. Gail ignored it.

Holly sighed. "Are you just going to keep ignoring me again?"

Gail snapped her head in Holly's direction. "I'm not ignoring you, I just don't have anything to say. I said it all yesterday." She shrugged. "You walked away." Then she looked down at her lap where her bag of cheese puffs sat. "Not that I blame you," she muttered under her breath, but Holly heard her.

"Well, I don't think they're going to let us out until we talk, so we should talk," Holly suggested, always the voice of reason.

Gail inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. "God, I feel like a caged animal, in here," she said. Then she couldn't help it. She started softly singing. "The animal, the animal, trapped, trapped, trapped 'til the cage is full. The cage is full…" she trailed off when she noted Holly giving her the most adorable, confused look. Gail pinned her with a steady 'oh come on' look. "_Orange is the New Black_?" She laughed, using humor as a coping mechanism. "I'm totally Piper. Blonde, straight until she met Alex. That makes you Alex. Brunette with sexy librarian glasses. Seasoned veteran in the ways of Sapphic love."

Holly continued to stare. Gail gaped at her. "Oh, my God, you've never seen _Orange is the New Black_?"

Holly shrugged. "You know I don't really watch much TV." The barest hint of a smile curved her lips.

"It's a Netflix series. And isn't it like, a lesbian requirement, or something?" Holly just kept staring. Gail sighed and placed the now empty cheese puff bag and the still almost full bottle of water on the ground, then swung her feet onto the bench and laid back, facing Holly. One arm hung down limply. "God, you're a terrible lesbian."

Holly couldn't stop the smirk from fully forming on her lips. "You didn't say that the night we had that disaster movie marathon. Or, we started to before we got distracted."

Holly fully enjoyed the way Gail's cheeks and chest became flushed as she remembered exactly what Holly was referring to. "Oh," was all Gail could manage to say in response as memories of that very night flooded her mind. She broke Holly's gaze and cleared her throat. "Point taken," she said.

Holly's smile faded a bit. She gently nudged Gail's arm with her boot-clad foot. "Hey." She waited for Gail to look at her. "I miss you," Holly said softly.

Gail licked her suddenly dry lips. "I miss you, too."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I can't decide if I like how introspective of Gail it is or that hurts the story. But I wanted to get something posted today, so there you go. Let me know if you like all that inner dialogue or not and I'll take your thoughts into consideration as I write the rest of this. I want to give y'all what you want. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Thank you all once again for the reviews, favors, and follows! You all ROCK! Also, this chapter is a wee bit shorter than the others, but it felt like an organic place to stop. And I want to get something posted today. :)

Major thanks, as always, to my WONDERFUL gf and beta, Kathryn. You keep me motivated!

And now for chapter 3…

* * *

**IMPRISONED HEARTS III**

A reflective silence fell, less tense than before, but not exactly comfortable either. After the little foot nudge from Holly, Gail had unconsciously wrapped her hand around the soft leather of Holly's boot, holding her ankle. She let her fingers trace a seam, unknowing that Holly felt every stroke beneath the leather.

After another minute, Gail sat up on the bench, a bit closer this time, their knees only a fraction of an inch apart. Holly settled her gaze once more upon Gail's face, taking in the exhaustion evident beneath her eyes and the weariness etching lines around her mouth. It was obvious she hadn't slept much the night before. If at all. Regardless, she was gorgeous.

Gail inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. "So, I guess they want us to talk." She raised her eyes to meet Holly's.

"Okay…" Holly started, pausing momentarily to lick her suddenly dry lips, then decided to jump right in. "Did you mean it? What you said in the hallway yesterday?"

Gail knit her eyebrows, expression somber. "Of course I meant it," she said, voice shaky. She wrapped her arms around her midsection in a feeble attempt to protect herself.

Holly nodded slowly. She'd lain awake in bed the night before, the blonde's words reverberating in her head. They'd be unexpected to say the least. But not unwelcome. In the moment, however, her brain hadn't known how to process them. But as she laid in bed staring at her motionless ceiling fan, she couldn't keep the image of Gail's dejected expression out of her head.

She'd tried convincing herself over the last several weeks that Gail no longer cared or wanted to make things work. Otherwise she would have answered her calls, right?

Holly had felt horrible about what Gail had overheard at The Penny. Lisa could be a stuck up jerk sometimes. In retrospect, she realized she probably should have come to Gail's defense more, but really, she'd heard it from Lisa so many times about women she was dating that she'd learned to just ignore her. That was just Lisa. As snobby as she was at times, she'd been there for Holly when things got rough.

Holly was about to speak when Gail beat her to it again.

"So, you have a new girlfriend, eh? Your friends actually like this one?" The bitterness in her voice even made Gail cringe. She shook her head and started to apologize for the snark—another sign of having grown up a bit—but Holly interrupted.

"Who said anything about a girlfriend?" she asked, annoyed. "Look, I said I was seeing someone mostly out of self-preservation than anything else, Gail."

Gail met her eye again. "So, you're not seeing someone?" She was both hopeful and irritated at this bit of information. Hopeful because maybe they still had a shot then. But annoyed because it meant that Holly had lied to hurt her.

Holly shrugged. "I had few dates with a woman, another set up as a favor to a coworker, but it didn't go anywhere. After yesterday, I realized it wasn't fair to her to keep pretending I was emotionally available."

Gail chewed her bottom lip. So, there had been someone, but not a _someone-someone_. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that. Not that she had any right to be jealous or anything like that. She knew that. But it still stung. "Of course you have a ton of women lining up to date you," Gail said, sounding miserable.

Holly tilted her head to the side and studied Gail. "Gail, it doesn't matter," she said. "I only agreed to go out with Tory because I was trying to get over you, but I'm not. You're very hard to get over, you know."

Gail snorted. "Previous experience proves otherwise," she spat out.

"What does that mean?" Holly asked.

Gail sighed. "No one has ever had trouble 'getting over' me in the past. I mean, take Chris. He was bed hopping within a week. And Nick? He moved on before we even broke up. I guess he was right when he said that I'm not exactly girlfriend material."

The last sentence was muttered under Gail's breath, but Holly heard it. This was an entirely new side of Gail that she wasn't used to. She'd known that Gail had been hurt in the past, but she hadn't realized just how deeply affected by it she was. She wasn't even sure Gail realized how deep it cut. Then Holly realized just how her words the previous day must have affected Gail. Shit.

"Gail, he was wrong," Holly rushed to explain. She moved even closer so that she could force Gail to uncross her arms and grip her hand between both of hers. "He obviously didn't know you like I do. Which really says something about… _us._" She swallowed and licked her lips.

A commotion in the doorway caught their attention before she could continue. Chloe and Andy came bustling into the room, Chloe squawking into her radio. Gail quickly pulled her hand out of Holly's and recrossed her arms around her midsection. Holly cursed the officers' timing.

"Saved by the jerk," Chloe said as she moved to open the cell door. "Nick is bringing in some creep that punched him in the face, so we need the cell."

Both Gail and Holly were slow to stand, something that didn't escape Chloe or Andy's observation, and they left the cell. Gail didn't even acknowledge them. Once they were in the hallway and out of earshot, Holly stopped Gail with a hand on her arm. "I think we should finish this talk," she said.

Gail opened her mouth to reply when Izzy appeared.

"Hey, my dad is looking for you," she said to Gail. "So, you're gonna be cool and not tell him about this, right? Because, really, he'd just end up mad at both of us, and who wants that, right? I mean, you did lose me yesterday and—"

"Okay, okay," Gail interrupted. "But I own you for the rest of the day."

Izzy grumbled, but nodded. "Hey, Dad!" she said as Oliver rounded the corner. "See, she just went to the bathroom and ran into a friend." She smiled sweetly.

Oliver spotted Holly and shot Gail a look that could only be described as fatherly concern. She shrugged.

"Dr. Stewart," he greeted, pleasant as usual. "What brings you to fifteen?"

"Uh," Holly said, knowing she couldn't tell him the truth that she was lured her by his daughter and staff. "I just had to bring over a report," she finished lamely.

"Was the courier sick again?" Oliver asked without missing a beat.

Holly felt her cheeks burn. "Sure," she agreed. "I should go." She gave a wave and made a move to leave, passing by Gail as she did so. "I'll text you," she said softly, then continued down the hall. Gail watched her go.

"Peck!"

Gail returned her attention to Oliver who studied her carefully. "Uh, yes sir?"

"Everything okay?"

Gail nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Izzy's just helping me with some... filing."

He narrowed her eyes, letting her know that that's not what he'd meant, but he dropped it for now. "I need you to change gears and get back on the home invasion case."

Gail nodded. "Yes, sir." She grabbed Izzy's arm and escorted her back to her desk.

"So, should I expect an invitation to the wedding anytime soon?" Izzy asked as she flopped down into her chair and placed a booted foot onto the desk.

Gail sat and pushed her foot off the desk. "You should expect to sit there and be quiet for the rest of the day," Gail said. "This really is none of your business."

Izzy pouted, but didn't say anything.

Just then, Gail's phone buzzed from its position on the desk. Izzy leaned up to see that it was a text from Holly. She grinned. Gail snatched the phone up.

H: _Still want to finish that talk?_

Gail had to fight to keep her face neutral in front of the teenager as she read and replied to the message.

G: _My shift is over at 6._

H: _Meet me at my place at 7? I'm ready to listen to your explanation now._

G: _I'll be there._

Gail almost asked if she should bring food as a peace offering, but she didn't want to get ahead of herself. They were just talking. This wasn't a date. Right?

* * *

**Author's Note: **As usual, I'd love to know your thoughts. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews, follows, and favorites! It really makes me smile when I see that y'all enjoy my work. :)

Shoutout to my girl for being the best beta ever. As usual, you ROCK!

Ready for 'the talk'? Okay, here we go…

* * *

**IMPRISONED HEARTS IV**

Gail knocked on Holly's door at 6:58PM. It felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. The sudden crack of thunder overhead didn't help matters.

The door opened to reveal Holly. She'd changed into what Gail had quickly learned was Holly's favorite casual outfit—an old pair of jeans so worn and faded that the knees were threadbare and one of the belt loops had ripped off, a fitted t-shirt beneath an oversized zip-up hoodie. Her face was scrubbed free of any trace of makeup, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and she stood in stocking feet. Gail still thought she looked beautiful.

"Hey," Gail greeted, shifting awkwardly from one boot to the other. She suddenly wished she'd dressed more comfortably that morning. Her tight black jeans felt constricting, the maroon sweater she wore beneath the black leather bomber jacket was making her itchy. Or maybe that was just her nerves.

"Hey," Holly replied, stepping aside so Gail to enter the dwelling. Gail paused in the entryway to remove her boots, wet from the rain, then followed Holly into the living room. She shed her jacket and tossed it carelessly onto one of the armchairs. They sat on opposite ends of the couch.

"Can we skip the awkwardness and just jump right into it?" Holly asked, turning to face Gail. "It's been a long day."

Gail nodded in agreement. "Okay, where should we start?"

"How about you say whatever it is you wanted to say over drinks yesterday?" Holly suggested, ready to hear what Gail had to say.

Gail licked her lip, staring towards the window. "Okay," she started, drawing out the syllable. "Okay, I–I was going to apologize."

Holly waited for her to expand further upon her statement, but when it became apparent that she wasn't going to, Holly sighed. "That's it? You were going to apologize?" She sounded agitated, something Gail wasn't used to. "Gail, you ignored me for weeks. A simple blanket apology isn't nearly enough to make up for that."

Gail groaned and let her head fall to lay against the back of the couch, hands rubbing her face. "I know, I know," she said, voice muffled by her hands. She threaded her fingers through her short hair, not caring that the action probably made it stick out at odd angles. "God, I'm so bad at this. I usually don't even bother unless I actually care." She looked imploringly at Holly. "I don't know where to start."

Holly pursed her lips, but took pity on the other woman. "Just… start at the beginning. Why didn't you answer my calls?"

Gail finally looked at Holly, hoping her expression conveyed her sincerity. "Because I was pissed," Gail said a bit more forcefully than she'd intended. She softened, forehead crinkling as she thought. "I was… humiliated."

Holly knit her brow. "Humiliated?"

Gail bit her bottom lip as she nodded. "In retrospect, I realize that maybe I shouldn't have been, but yeah. Humiliated. I mean, there I was, just some dumb beat cop, and there you were all educated and literally one of the smartest people I've ever known." She shrugged. "I thought maybe botched boob job was right after all."

"Gail, no," Holly protested. "That's not true at all. That's not how I think of you."

"I know," Gail insisted. "But I've been told that I'm not good enough my entire life. My grades weren't high enough, my ambition wasn't strong enough, my career wasn't successful enough, I was never a good enough girlfriend… And, I'm not trying to make excuses. Well, maybe I am, but that doesn't change the fact that it's what I'm used to. It's not easy to change a way of thinking that's so fully ingrained in you." Gail shook her head. "But I should have realized you're not like my parents or exes or even my friends. I was just—I had a relapse, okay?"

Holly couldn't help but give a sad smile at Gail's wording. "Okay, I admit that I could have defended you to Lisa more than I did. I should have. If you would have listened to me then, I would have told you that, yeah, she can be kind of a snob. She finds something wrong with every woman I date. Because she does care about me and doesn't want to see me get hurt. I've had the 'this girl isn't good enough for you' conversation so many times that it's lost its sincerity. She was just being her normal self."

"Then why are you even friends with her?" Gail jumped in. "You're so nice and sweet and she's so… not." She stopped and cocked her head to the side, a startled expression forming on her face. "Shit, I just described _us_, didn't I?"

Holly just smiled and ignored the last bit. "I'm friends with her because she has been there for me when things got rough. And med school has a way of bonding people. She's knows just how grueling it was because she went through it with me."

Gail swallowed against the knot forming in her throat. "Alright, I get that. But I still heard what she said and I heard you not disagree, so what was I supposed to think?"

Holly nodded. "I know, and if I'd known you could hear, I'd have told her to shut the hell up. Which is what I was trying to tell you when I kept calling you. I kinda yelled at her after you left that night, too."

Gail raised an eyebrow. "_You_ yelled? Like, actually raised your voice to another human being?"

"Okay, maybe not yelled, per say," Holly admitted. Yelling was not in her wheelhouse. "But I did tell her that she was acting like a stuck up bitch."

"Whoa," Gail said, shocked. "I'm so proud."

Holly grinned, looking smug. "She deserved it. And she even felt bad afterwards."

Gail stood abruptly. "I need a drink. Can we get a drink?" She didn't wait for an answer before making her way to the kitchen and pulling open the door to the liquor cabinet.

Holly studied her from the couch, equal parts amused and worried. "I'm not sure getting drunk is the right way to deal with this, Gail."

Gail looked up from pouring two glasses of the liquid. "Not drunk," she said, making a show of recapping the bottle and replacing it back in the cabinet. "One drink each. I think we both need to just… calm our nerves. Or is that just me?" By then, Gail had returned to the kitchen, drink in either hand. She handed one to Holly.

Holly took the proffered drink and, in lieu of answering, raised the glass and said, "cheers," before taking a healthy sip, the alcohol burning the back of her throat.

Gail mirrored her actions, grimacing slightly. She set her glass on the side table and returned to her respective corner of the couch, ready to continue the conversation.

Holly was the first to speak. "I am sorry for that night at The Penny," she said. "But I think I deserved more credit than you gave me."

Gail nodded. "Yeah. You did. A lot more. I became that goddamn cat again, and I'm sorry."

Holly was silent for a moment, thoughtful. Then she spoke. "Were you looking for an out?" she asked, sounding uncertain and not at all like the Holly Gail knew.

Gail shook her head. "Not consciously, but maybe I subconsciously sabotaged the relationship on purpose? I don't know. It sounds like something I'd do. But I didn't want to sabotage it. It was the best thing to happen to me in, well, a really long time. Why would I try to ruin that?"

Holly sighed. "Maybe that's exactly why," she suggested. Gail gave her a confused look, so Holly continued. "Maybe, subconsciously, you were feeling too much. You said so yourself, you always kept yourself at arm's length in previous relationships. Were you doing that with me?" Gail shook her head, truthful. "Maybe that scared you."

"You took a psychology class in med school, didn't you?" Gail asked, deflecting.

"Minor in undergrad. Stop changing the subject."

"Sorry," Gail muttered. "Okay, maybe. I don't know. But if it's true, then I hate that it's true. And I hate that it ended up hurting you. I really did mean it when I said I didn't want to end up having lost the most wonderful person I've ever known." She took another drink. "I mean, no one has ever made me feel as safe and loved as you did. I don't know why I'd self-sabotage, but if I did, I'll make sure to never do it again." She realized her presumption as soon as she said the words and tensed. "Uh, not that I'm assuming anything. I just wanted you to know that I would make more effort to—"

"Gail, I know what you meant," Holly interrupted. "It's okay. And I believe you."

Gail relaxed back into the couch. "Good, because I mean it. I mean everything I've said, both yesterday and today. And if you decide it's not worth the risk again, I completely understand. I know I messed up, even though I thought I was just protecting myself in the moment. I realize now that I wasn't. I was just being a jerk, and I'm sorry about that. About everything. And I hate that you ended up getting hurt in the process, but I hate even more that I was the one to do the hurting. The last thing I want is to ever hurt the person I love, but I did. But I can promise that, no matter where this goes, I'll do my best to never, ever let it happen again. I can't promise not to be a jerk at times, it is me, after all, but I can promise not to just walk away again."

Holly's head was spinning. Gail wasn't usually one to ramble. That was her thing. But she couldn't even focus on anything beyond one thing. "You… love me?"

Gail froze as she went over her words. Shit, that had just kind of spilled out, hadn't it? It wasn't that she hadn't already acknowledged the fact that she'd fallen in love with Holly. But she'd planned on telling her in a more eloquent manner. And when they were actually, you know, together. She'd almost given up on the hope that she'd ever be able to tell the other woman about just how strongly she felt. "Um," she started, rolling her lips inwards. "I… yes?" Realizing that sounded more like she was unsure of her feelings, she sat up straighter and looked Holly in the eye. "I should have told you before we even… before that night at The Penny, but I wasn't sure if you quite felt the same yet, and I'm usually a wait-until-the-other-person-says-it-first kind of girl, so—"

She was cut off by Holly suddenly lunging forwards and planting her lips on Gail's, effectively cutting off her words. Gail, surprised by the sudden kiss, was frozen for a moment, then she melted into the kiss. And it felt like coming home.

As quick as the kiss began, Holly ended it, pulling back before it could get too intense. "I shouldn't have done that," she said. "You just keep surprising me. And of course I felt the same way."

"Felt?" Gail asked, heart sinking into her stomach. Past tense.

Holly sighed. "You do remember me saying I wasn't over you, right? That it's _really_ difficult to do so?"

Gail didn't say anything.

"Ugh, I still love you, you ass. Okay?"

Gail wasn't sure what it all meant. For them. For their future together. If there still was a future for them. "So, what does this mean?"

Holly took a deep breath. "It means I need to think about a few things. We both do. Beyond that, I don't know yet."

Gail nodded. "Okay, that's fair. Can we, I mean, if it's not too much to ask, can we at least go back to being friends for now? I really miss your friendship. You really were the best friend I've ever had."

Holly thought. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to think of Gail as 'just' a friend again, but it couldn't hurt to hang out , right? She nodded. "Okay, yeah. That seems like a good place to start. Friends."

Gail swallowed, but nodded. Her stomach growled. "And friends eat dinner together and watch crappy TV. Can we maybe order some food and watch some mind-numbing show while we think?"

An hour later found them sitting on the couch, in their respective corners, of course, while some detective show played on the TV. Gail made fun of Holly for liking it, arguing how grossly inaccurate it was. Holly laughed and told her to shush. It was almost like the very beginning of their relationship, before they became romantically involved.

The realization calmed Gail. Maybe this was just the reboot they needed.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Oh, don't worry… I don't plan on them being 'just' friends for too long. ;) As always, let me know what you think! There was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, but I think it was needed to begin to repair the damage done. I just wish they'd talk like this in the actual show! Here's hoping they do in 5x10 and/or 5x11!


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I'm not even going to make you wait any longer for this chapter... except to say THANK YOU to everyone who left reviews, followed, and/or favored! ya'll rock! and one last thing... thanks to my fabulous beta and gf, Kathryn. i love you. :)

But, PLEASE NOTE THE RATING CHANGE! ;)

* * *

**IMPRISONED HEARTS V**

It amazed Gail how easily they'd fallen back into their friendship. Well, maybe 'friendship' was pushing it. It was like they were starting over with the whole dating thing. Because Gail spent the next four nights sitting on Holly's couch as they shared dinner and watched TV. She'd even convinced Holly to watch _Orange is the New Black_. Holly had immediately professed her love for Nicky Nichols.

Each night, they'd migrated a bit more towards the middle of the couch, reaching what could only be considered 'cuddling' by the third night. The fourth night, their legs managed to become intertwined.

It certainly felt more like dating than friendship.

Except there was no kissing or touching beyond the cuddling or repeating of the admissions of love. They didn't talk about the state of their relationship, either.

Gail desperately wanted to kiss Holly, but she didn't want to push her luck. She was still afraid she was going to decide Gail wasn't worth the risk again and pull away. Holly was going to have to make the first move this time.

Gail caught Holly stifling a yawn just as the episode ended. She looked at the time and noted that it was nearly ten o'clock. They were side by side in the center of the couch, one of Holly's arms was tucked behind Gail's lower back while Gail used Holly's shoulder as a pillow. Their hands were clasped in Holly's lap.

Gail really didn't want to move, but Holly tried to hide yet another.

"I should probably go soon," Gail said. "It's getting late and you keep trying to hide your yawns again."

Holly didn't move to stand like she normally did when Gail mentioned heading home for the night. Gail lifted her head to look at Holly and found her with a pensive expression on her face. "Everything okay?" Gail asked, concerned there was an issue.

Holly nodded, turning her head to press a kiss on the top of Gail's head. "I was just thinking that this is almost how it was before. It feels almost the same."

Okay, so it was time for this talk. Gail was ready. "Almost," she agreed. She reached up and pushed Holly's glasses back into place from where they'd slipped down the bridge of her nose. She let her fingers trail down her jaw as she pulled her hand back. She heard Holly inhale contentedly, and Gail was worried she was about to fall asleep. "Hey, don't fall asleep on me now," she teased.

Holly hummed. "Not sleeping. Just too comfortable to move." She pulled away slightly so she could look at Gail. "I don't want you to leave. I miss sleeping next to you."

Gail smirked. "Is that your way of asking me to stay the night?" she asked, hesitant. She hoped she hadn't overstepped a boundary.

But Holly smiled, calming Gail's fears. "Yes, but just sleep. I–I don't think—"

Gail quieted Holly by placing her index finger on Holly's lips. "I know," she said. "Come on." Gail extracted herself from Holly's hold and stood, helping Holly to her feet. Then Holly took her hand and led her up the stairs to the bedroom. She opened a drawer of her dresser and pulled out a pair of boxer-style shorts and tank top that looked really familiar to Gail. Holly handed them to her and she laughed. "You kept some of my things?"

Holly shrugged. "I couldn't just get rid of them," she explained. Then she gave Gail a sheepish look. "Your, um, spare toothbrush and bottle of moisturizer are still in the drawer in the bathroom, too."

Gail just smiled, leaned forward to kiss Holly's cheek, then left the room to head to the bathroom. After changing into the shorts and tank top and brushing her teeth with the toothbrush Holly had mentioned, she returned to the bedroom to find Holly already changed into her own sleepwear that consisted of a dark purple button-down sleep shirt that fell to her mid-thigh. Gail knew from experience that all she wore beneath was a pair of cotton boyshorts.

Gail tried not to stare at Holly's legs as she left the room to brush her own teeth. She failed miserably. Holly's legs were incredible. Once Holly was out of the room, Gail shook herself out of her trance and crawled under the covers onto what had become 'her side' of the bed, though before, they'd usually sleep draped around one another in the middle. Which was different for Gail. Before Holly, she'd been a strict 'touch me while I sleep and I'll punch you in the face' kind of bedmate. Not with Holly.

But Gail was unsure of where exactly they currently stood in their tenuous relationship. So she settled against the pillows on 'her' side and waited.

Holly returned a few minutes later, flipping off the overhead light and closing the door. The only light that remained was the soft glow of the small bedside lamp on Holly's nightstand. Gail turned onto her side to face the middle of the bed as Holly settled under the covers, placing her glasses on the nightstand. She mirrored Gail's position.

"You're all fuzzy," Holly said.

Gail chuckled. "That's because you have terrible eyesight," she teased.

"Yeah, well, I'm nearsighted, so move closer."

Holly's demand made Gail laugh again, but she obliged, moving until their faces were only a few inches apart. "Better?" she asked.

"Almost," Holly said, scooting her own body forwards until they touched, fronts pressed together, their faces now only a mere inch apart.

Gail swallowed. "Yeah, that's good, too," she whispered. She wrapped an arm around Holly's waist, splaying her fingers across her lower back.

"Know what's even better?" Holly asked, her own hand planted on Gail's hip.

"What?" Gail asked.

Holly didn't answer. She just closed the last inch separating their lips and kissed her.

Gail's eyes closed of their own accord as she melted into the kiss. It was slow and soft, a gentle exploration of lips, teeth, and tongues as they rediscovered one another. Holly's hand abandoned Gail's hip and threaded through her hair on the back of her head, holding her in place. Gail whimpered.

Soon, Gail pulled back, out of breath. "I've really missed that," she murmured.

"Me, too," Holly replied. She licked her lips and brushed her thumb across Gail's kiss-swollen bottom lip. "I really missed you, Gail. Everything." Tears welled in her eyes and she fought to keep them at bay.

Gail felt a knot form in her own throat. "I really hate that I nearly screwed everything up," she said.

"We both did our part in messing things up," Holly said. "It wasn't just you. I should have told Lisa to shut the hell up whether you could hear or not. Because she was so incredibly wrong. Because you." She punctuated the word 'you' with a kiss. "Are." _Kiss_. "Incredible." _Kiss_. The last kiss lingered.

"I'm not trying to pressure or anything," Gail said once they parted again. "But what does this mean?"

"For us, you mean?" Holly asked.

Gail nodded.

Holly thought for a moment before answering. "I think it means we're starting fresh," she said. "Wiping the slate clean, so to speak."

Gail broke into a wide smile. "Does this mean I can call you my girlfriend again, or is it still too soon for that?"

Holly smiled. "I think I like the way that sounds."

"Good," Gail said against Holly's lips, having already leaned back in to kiss her. This time the kiss quickly grew in intensity, and hands began roaming. Holly slipped her hand under Gail's shirt, sliding across the smooth skin of her side to rest just below her breast. Gail murmured something unintelligible against Holly's lips. Holly took that as encouragement and continued upwards to cup Gail's breast, her nipple already pebbling against her palm as she gently kneaded.

Gail groaned and moved her own had to cover Holly's over her shirt. "As much as enjoy that," she said, voice husky with arousal, "you were the one who made the stupid rule of no sex tonight." She was teasing, but there was a note of 'have mercy on me' in her voice.

Holly just smiled and pushed Gail onto her back, straddling her. "To hell with the stupid rules," she growled before attacking Gail's lips once more. That was all Gail needed to hear. She returned the kiss with ardor and let her hands finally dip beneath the long pajama shirt. She wasted no time in lifting it upwards, encouraging Holly to sit back on her knees so she could fully remove the offending object.

Holly immediately stripped Gail of her tank top before reconnecting their lips, their bare torsos meeting, both woman gasping at the contact. Holly tried to press Gail back on to the mattress once more, but Gail resisted, turning them so she hovered over Holly, never breaking their heated kisses. She knew Holly not-so-secretly loved it when she took control.

Holly settled back against the pillow as she helped Gail kick off the covers, the cool air circulating the room doing absolutely nothing to lessen the heat building between them. Once the comforter and sheets had been carelessly kicked to the floor, Gail settled more fully on top of Holly, one thigh coming to rest in the cradle of Holly's strong thighs. Holly readily welcomed the slight weight of Gail.

Gail trailed her lips down Holly's neck, breathing in the scent she'd missed so much. It was a mixture of Holly's rosemary-scented shampoo, coco butter body lotion, and something that was just pure _Holly_. Gail reveled in the scent even as she moved on to nip and kiss her way down to Holly's breasts, enveloping one nipple in her mouth as her hand cupped the other, thumb strumming across the erect nipple in time with her tongue on the other.

Holly gasped, back arching. Gail moved to give the other equal treatment. But Holly had other ideas. Her hand came up to push on Gail's head, grateful when she seemed to take the hint and move downwards, lips and tongue leaving behind a fiery path in their wake.

Gail grinned against Holly's abdomen when the brunette's hips rose off the bed. She hooked her fingers in the last remaining piece of clothing and tugged them down Holly's legs, sitting up so she could pull them all the way off. She was about to resettle between her legs when Holly stopped her.

"Get rid of these first," she insisted, tugging at Gail's shorts and underwear. Gail made quick work of the garments, and then they were both gloriously naked, stripped of both clothing and emotional walls. This was it. This was their new beginning. They were determined not to screw it up this time.

Gail tackled Holly, both of them laughing into another quick kiss before Gail returned to her previous task of raining kisses across Holly's abdomen. She trailed her lips across the sharp edge of a hipbone, sucking on a particularly sensitive spot. Holly groaned above her, shifting in a useless attempt find much-needed friction. Gail slid the palms of her hands up the sensitive insides of Holly's thighs as she inhaled the musky sweetness of Holly's arousal.

And then Gail's mouth was on her.

Holly's hips bucked, and her fingers clutched at the pillowcase. Gail gripped Holly's hips to keep her still as she ran the flat of her tongue along wet folds. She'd been surprised, the first time she'd tried this particular activity their first night together, that she was a natural. She loved making Holly come with her mouth, teasing her with her tongue.

But she knew that, tonight, right now, was not the time for teasing. She slid two fingers into Holly and circled her clit with the tip of her tongue, finding a quick, steady rhythm that had Holly gasping in seconds. Gail could tell she was just a few strokes away from coming.

Which is why it surprised her when Holly reached down and stopped her ministrations. Gail looked up in confusion. "Is something wrong?" she asked, worry burning the pit of her stomach.

Holly shook her head and tugged Gail upwards. "No," she rasped out. "I just need to kiss you."

Gail immediately complied, melding their mouths together in a tongue thrusting kiss as she continued to pump her fingers in and out. Her thumb took the place of her tongue on Holly's clit, moving furiously in just the right way to bring Holly to the brink of orgasm.

Holly moaned, her muscles beginning to tense as she felt the first pinpricks of her building climax. Gail swallowed the sound, then buried her face in Holly's hair, increasing her speed. Holly gripped Gail's shoulders, her neatly trimmed nails leaving little half-moons in her flesh. Gail hardly noticed.

"Oh, god, Gail," Holly groaned out, breath fast and choppy. "I'm so close. Don't' stop."

"I've got you, Holly," Gail husked into her ear. "Come for me, baby."

Holly cried out, her back arching and her thighs trapping Gail's hand in place as intense pleasure radiated throughout her entire body. Bursts of brilliant white light form behind her eyelids as she clutches Gail close, entire body shuddering with her release.

Gail held Holly through her orgasm, murmuring sweet nothings into her ear until she went limp, body completely relaxed. She hummed her content and leisurely forced her eyes open, blinking against the light. She found Gail smirking down at her.

"Hey," Holly creaked out.

Gail laughed. "Hey," she replied. "You okay there?"

Holly grinned, looping her arms around Gail's neck. "Perfect," she said, pulling Gail down for a soft kiss. When they parted, Gail pressed their foreheads together.

"I love you, you know," Gail whispered, letting her nose brush against Holly's.

Holly smoothed the fingers of one hand over Gail's high cheekbone and down her jaw. "I love you, too."

They kissed.

Then Holly shifted them so that Gail was on her back beneath her. She gave her a devilish smile. "It's my turn now."

Gail instantly knew she was in for a long night, which she eagerly welcomed. They had a lot of time to make up for, after all.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **so, immediate follow-up to this chapter or slight time jump to the following morning? Let me know. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **So I got a mixture of both options, so I will write a mixture. ^_^ As always, HUGE shoutout to all those who reviewed, favored, and/or followed this story. I cherish every one of them! And a big thanks to my beta and gf, Kathryn. Thanks for putting up with me when I'm all hormonal and bitchy. ily. *hugs*

* * *

**IMPRISONED HEARTS VI**

_They kissed. _

_Then Holly shifted them so that Gail was on her back beneath her. She gave her a devilish smile. "It's my turn now."_

_Gail instantly knew she was in for a long night, which she eagerly welcomed. They had a lot of time to make up for, after all. _

Holly began raining kissed down Gail's throat and along her clavicle. She could practically feel Gail's pale skin tingling with need. The hands on her shoulders urging her downwards didn't do a thing to temper that feeling, either. Holly grinned as her lips brushed across a rigid nipple, loving the way Gail's fingers slid through her hair.

Holly shifted slightly to the side so that she straddled one of Gail's thighs, letting her hand travel the inside of the other. She knew Gail was already on the brink just from making Holly come.

She trailed her fingers through Gail's slippery wet folds the exact same time her lips closed around her nipple. Gail let out a soft moan and angled her hips upwards, trying to find friction. Holly slid one long finger inside, marveling at her silken heat. "God, you're soaked," she murmured against Gail's breast.

Gail hummed and glanced down at Holly. "Your fault," she said, then hissed as Holly's thumb swiped over her swollen clit. "God, do that again."

Holly complied, sliding another finger into her as her thumb pressed harder. She knew Gail was moments away from coming, so she slid down her body and replaced her thumb with her tongue and lips, moving in a rhythm that had Gail's entire body tensing and her inner muscles spasming around Holly's fingers within seconds.

Gail had never been particularly loud in bed. Vocal, sure. She'd never been too shy to tell a partner what she did and didn't like. But honest to goodness cries of passion and groans of delight? Never. Not until Holly. Holly made her lose herself in the moment. She made her sob with her release, praying to a deity she wasn't even sure she believed in. So she wasn't surprised when she let out a high-pitched squeal as she came, hips bucking against Holly's face, fingers clenching in long, silky hair.

Holly moved to lay alongside Gail, tangling their legs together and forcing her to turn her head so they could kiss. She thrust her tongue inside, and they both groaned at the taste of one another on their dueling tongues.

The kiss eventually slowed until they were forced to break apart. Holly rested her forehead against Gail's shoulder, arm slung across her torso, just beneath her flushed breasts. The only sound in the room was their heavy breathing, and all Holly could think about was how stupid she'd been—that they'd _both_ been—to nearly let this go.

Gail was the first to speak. "So, if the 'no sex tonight' rule was okay to break, does that mean I can break your stupid 'no food in bed' rule because I could really go for some cheese puffs right now."

Holly snorted, legit snorted, and propped herself up to look down at the blonde. "Gail, I have white sheets. You are not bringing your bright orange unhealthy powder-covered fingers anywhere near this bed."

Gail pouted. "Don't diss the cheese puffs," she said, turning onto her side so they faced one another.

Holly couldn't resist Gail's pouty face and kissed her softly. "I wouldn't dare speak ill of your snack of choice," she said. Then she turned serious. "You know, we probably owe Chloe drinks on us for life."

"And Izzy," Gail said. "I'm pretty sure she was the real mastermind of the whole jail cell thing."

"We can't buy drinks for a minor, Gail," Holly pointed out.

"Okay, fine, diet coke. Whatever. You know what I meant. But who says we wouldn't have eventually found our own way back to one another? I'm irresistible!"

Holly laughed and hooked her leg over Gail's hip. "Yes, you are, but who knows how long it would have taken were it not for those two. And Andy and Dov. We owe them all drinks. Diet coke for Izzy."

"Oh God, I just thought about the smug look Chloe is going to have for weeks when she finds out we're back together," Gail groaned, already imagining the giddy, over the top manner in which the bubbly officer was sure to respond to the news.

Holly smiled. "What do you think, Officer Peck?" she asked, pulling the woman forwards so that their breasts were pressed together. Holly's thigh still rested on Gail's hip, so Gail could feel the heat radiating from Holly's center against her lower abdomen. "Is this worth enduring Chloe, the perk master extraordinaire?"

Gail didn't even have to think about it. "Definitely."

* * *

Holly was an early riser, even on her days off, a product of her years as a med student. She was usually up with the sun, seeing no point in lounging in bed if there were others things she could be doing. And there were always other things she could be doing.

But when Gail was in her bed, burrowed deep under the covers, she was loathe to move. Still waking just as sunlight started peeking through the edges of the curtains, she lay there, suddenly unwilling to move from the warm cocoon they'd created together.

She'd also never been one for watching her partners sleep. But again, Gail made her do uncharacteristic things. So she looked on in amusement as Gail slept. Gail was gorgeous, of course, but she would never be described as a 'pretty sleeper.' Her position of choice was on her stomach, arms tucked under the pillow and head turned to face Holly. Her hair was adorably ruffled and stuck out at odd angles. Holly found herself wondering what she'd looked like before cutting her hair—she imagined it falling carelessly across her sleeping face, sticking to the small puddle of drool that escaped her open mouth. And she snored. Not the loud, annoying snores of an overweight old man, but soft, almost mewling snores that escaped every three or four breaths. Holly found it adorable.

Soon, Gail stirred, clutching the bedspread tighter as she stretched. Without even opening her eyes, she spoke. "It's creepy when you do that, you know."

Holly didn't respond, just leaned forward and placed a kiss against the sleep-warmed skin of Gail's forehead. Gail's eyes finally opened, and she turned onto her side. She reached for Holly beneath the covers and pulled her closer. They hadn't redressed after the last round—round three—and Holly hummed in appreciation as she felt Gail's naked skin pressed against her own.

"Morning, sunshine," Holly said as Gail buried her face in her neck.

Gail muttered incoherently, but Holly caught something that sounded like 'too damn early' and chuckled.

"You have to get ready for work soon," Holly reminded her, glancing at the clock and noting that Gail had to be at the station in a little over an hour. "Which means you have to get up."

Gail shook her head. "Don't wanna," she murmured.

"I don't want you to, either, but you said so yourself—you've never been late for work since you started at fifteen."

Gail groaned and pulled back to look up at Holly. "I could take a personal day," she suggested. "And so could you. I know you have like a hundred vacation days saved up. We could spend the entire day just lying in bed. Getting to know one another again…" She kissed along Holly's jaw as she spoke the words.

Holly groaned. "I can't just call in because I want to spend the day in bed with my gorgeous girlfriend," she protested, thought she could already feel her resolve dissolving. She had to at least try to put up a good fight. She was supposed to be the rational one, anyway.

"So just say you're sick," Gail said, hitting that spot just below Holly's ear that literally made her whimper. "It's true. You're lovesick."

Holly groaned. "That was terrible."

"You love it," Gail said, forcing Holly onto her back. She moved to hover over her. "Almost as much as you love me." She smirked down at the brunette. "Besides, I want breakfast in bed."

"Oh, do you now?" Holly asked with a teasing grin. Her hands found Gail's bare hips and tugged her down so she lay fully on top of her. "And what exactly should this breakfast in bed consist of?"

Gail thought for a moment, then smiled. "Chocolate chip pancakes, bacon—the real kind, not that turkey crap—fresh fruit, and hot coffee."

"And just who is going to make this very specific breakfast in bed?"

"You, duh."

Holly tugged Gail's head down for a leisurely kiss. "The coffee I can do. I think I have a banana or two. I don't have an chocolate chips or bacon of any kind. And I'm pretty sure my pancake mix has been sitting in the cupboard since way before we even met. There's cereal, though. Oh, and granola bars. I may have some milk that's still good to go with it all, as well."

Gail groaned and dropped her forehead to Holly's shoulder. "You're killin' me, here, Stewart."

Holly laughed. "I'm sorry I wasn't prepared for a breakfast buddy," she said, running her hand up Gail's sides. She delighted in Gail's shiver. "I'll make sure my pantry and fridge are better stocked next time."

"Call in sick and I'll forgive you," Gail said, lips firmly attached to Holly's neck. "You'll need a day for that hickey to fade anyway." She bounded out of the bed to escape Holly's retaliation of the news that she was now sporting a purple bruise on the side of her neck.

"Gail!"

Gail laughed and darted out the door and towards the bathroom, still fully naked.

Holly just grinned and shook her head as she slid out from under the covers. Apparently, she had a damn phone call to make.

* * *

They spent the day just as Gail had suggested—except she'd had to settle for cold cereal instead of chocolate chip pancakes, and they did finally leave the bed to migrate to the couch where they were currently continuing their _Orange is the New Black _marathon. Holly was never one to fake sick to get out of school or work, but today was an exception to her rule. Today was needed to just _be_ in one another's presence once more, without the distraction of their careers or outsiders.

During a break to get food, Holly grabbed a key ring that held a single key from the junk drawer (Gail made fun of her for calling it a 'junk' drawer since it was decidedly not messy and unorganized like everyone else's junk drawer) and slid it across the island tabletop towards Gail.

Gail eyed the key, then glanced back up at Holly. "Wahs dis?" she asked around mouthful of the Thai food they'd ordered.

Holly shrugged. "I had a key made for you so you would be able to let yourself in since we both have crazy schedules sometimes. I was planning on giving it to you the night we went to The Penny…" She trailed off with another shrug.

Gail fingered the silver key on the table as she swallowed the mouthful of Pad Thai. "You were?" she asked, sheepish.

Holly nodded. "Well, yeah. You were here more than your own place. How many times did I get caught up at the lab and you ended up having to wait on the front porch for me to get home? This seemed like a better solution."

Gail laughed. "Only you would give your girlfriend a key to your house and rationalize it," she said. She looped the key ring around her index finger and picked it up, holding it tightly in her hand. "Thank you."

Holly smiled that big, dopey smile of hers that Gail loved so much and returned her attention to her food.

A bit later, Gail laid lengthwise along the couch, her head resting on Holly's thigh as they watched the episode featuring Poussey's past. "Do lesbians really do that?" Gail asked, eyes fixated on the gyrating couple on the screen.

"Do what? Scissor?" Holly asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. It seems… awkward. Like, how do you even get in the right position?"

Holly ran her fingers through Gail's hair. "A lot of ingenuity," she said, smirking down at her.

Gail paused the Netflix app on the TV and looked up at Holly. "Have you ever tried it?"

It still surprised Holly, sometimes, how up-front and bold Gail was. She really should have been used to it by then, but she wasn't sure she ever would be. "Well, sure. It can be fun, but I'm not a particularly huge fan. I mean, if you want to try, I'm game, but I think there's much more… interesting things I can show you."

Gail sat up. "Have you been holding out on me?!" she asked with mock indignation. "I demand to know what these things you can teach me are."

"All in good time, Gail," Holly said, standing and shuffling backwards towards the stairs. "All in good time." She reached for the top of her blue plaid shirt, undoing the top button. "If you play your cards right…" Another button undone. Gail swallowed at the sight of shadowy cleavage, having already determined from earlier stealthy (not stealthy) caresses that Holly wasn't wearing a bra. "I may show you one or two of those things right…" Yet another button. Only one remained. "Now." The shirt now hung open, exposing an uninterrupted expanse of skin from her neck to the place where her jeans rode low on her hips.

Gail didn't think she'd ever moved so quick in her entire life.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm thinking of making this the end... So I think I'll mark it as "complete" for now, but I may add more later (or post a separate sequel), particularly if there's a demand for more. As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think! :)


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